Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a fairly level landscape. A gradiometer survey (06R0083) of a large area (c. 48 ha) in Piercetown and Craddockstown townlands identified areas with potential archaeological features, including two large enclosures in Piercetown and a smaller one in Craddockstown (Harrison 2006). Targeted archaeological testing (06E0635) by T. Bolger (2006) confirmed the presence of the two larger features but the smaller one was shown to be non-archaeological, although three other smaller concentrations of archaeological features were identified (excavations.ie 2006:1621).
Systematic archaeological testing (16E0451) by Deirdre Murphy of the development area within Piercetown explored the larger enclosures (excavations.ie 2016:463). This programme also identified a third enclosure and three other potential, but smaller, archaeological areas. Site 5 appeared as a spread of charcoal-rich clay (dims 10.6m; x 7.7m; T 0.1-0.2m). It was later completely excavated (17E0080) by Deirdre Murphy (excavations.ie 2018:805) when it proved to be an annexe attached to the S of Site 1 (ME050-034----). (Murphy 2016, 15)

On excavation Site 5 proved to be a complex of ditches that created a rather oval enclosure (int. dims 30m plus N-S; c. 22m plus E-W) undoubtedly connecting with the fosse of Site 1 (ME050-034----) to the N. No entrance was apparent, although the W side of the enclosure was not exposed. The ditch (Wth 2-2.5m; D 0.9m) was fairly sterile with fills of grey or yellow clays with stones, but small quantities of charcoal, animal bone and grain were recovered from it. A sample of charcoal from the fill produced a C14 date of 770-970 cal. AD. Within the S extremity of the enclosure were two kilns, and a later and larger kiln was cut into the ditch fill at S.
A N-S round-bottomed ditch (Wth 1.88m; D 0.2m) 5043 c. 8m to the E is probably contemporary but this is a re-cut of an earlier feature on the same line, and a similar N-S ditch (Wth 2.1m; D 0.8m) c. 16m to the W is probably connected to the earlier ditch and both features could constitute an earlier iteration of the annexe. There were other smaller ditches that were probably created for drainage in a very wet area rather than enclosing features. Seven rather linear pits or slightly curvilinear slot-trenches are adjacent to the kilns, inside and outside the enclosure. They are rich in charcoal and cereal grain deposits, but the kiln (5090) cuts the S tip of one of these features (L 8.6m; Wth 0.4m; D 0.14m). (Murhpy 2019)

See the attached plan from Murphy (2019, Fig. 7)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 3 November 2021

References

Murphy, Deirdre 2016 Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Shire Gateway Business Park at Piercetown, Co. Meath. Licence: 16E0451. Unpublished report, ACSU

Bolger, T. 2006 Archaeological Testing at Piercetown, Co. Meath. Licence: 06E0635. Unpublished report, Margaret Gowen & Co.

Harrison, D. 2006 Geophysical Report, Piercetown, Co. Meath. Licence: 06R0083. Unpublished report, Margaret Gowen & Co.

Murphy, Deirdre 2019 Archaeological Excavation of Site 5, Piercetown, Co. Meath. Licence: 17E0080. Final unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services